Cadillac Catera Maintenance & Repair

Comments

My '97 will not start after it has been running for awhile. After allowing it too sit for an hour or more it will start up easily. It never cuts off while driving. Has anyone found a solution for this? Could this also be the crank sensor?

I just started to have the same problem. I have one mechanic who knows the car. He put the car on machine and said it was the crank sensor. I ordered part for $55.00 and do plan on getting rid of this car this year. I definitely will not buy american again.

Does anybody know what the problem is with the tranny? Mine goes into limp mode when i drive it uphill at 40 to 50 mph. Turn the car off and it is fine, until the next hill that i try to take at these speeds. :confuse:

:mad: your car is going into safe mode to protect damage when it does not recieve the right electronic signal. Get a new tranny computer for about 1000 bucks or your tranny will go to [non-permissible content removed] and cost you 4000.

Is there a official name for this part? I can put it in if this is really the problem, I have heard everything from the torque converter to oil on connectors, the cat is mint but I need to be sure before I put 1000 into it.

Has any body else had problem With not being able to get your heater to work. I am up here in ohio & it's pretty damn cold not to have any heat coming from your car. I have read about people changing a heater valve. Could that be it. We took took it to the local caddy dealer, (talk about legalized theft) & the mechanic said it was the thermostat. but the car does not over heat & the temp gauge stays right in the middle. It blows out cold air like the a/c is on. Any thoughts?.

Had same kind of problem. The blend doors rods, for lack of a better term, had come loose. They are located under the dash along center console. They are black plastic and attached to a actuator motor. Locate these and try moving gently by hand if they move reconnect. If they are connected try adjusting the temp controller and watch them to see if they are moving. Next step if they are connected and not moving with temp adjustment you may try pulling the actuator motor and check the gear on it mine had worked its way out and was not engaging with the gear for the rods. I pressed mine back into place with a vise be gentle though. Worked on mine about 4 months ago and everything still works great. One last thing check your coolant may be low. That happened to me also and had no heat.

"The car has a bad oil cooler, which is located below the lower intake manifold.. It is leaking oil externally, and it is also allowing coolant to mix in with the engine oil.The cost to replace the oil cooler will be approximately $900"

I have had that transmission light come on as well and i can do the same thing as you the only difference is i can drive mine about 10000 miles before mine does it do you know what it is or if it is causing ne problems or ne thing.

i also am curious as to if ne one is having there oil pressure drop below normal but not showing any other major problems i brought it in to get looked at and they said it was internal and that it would cost about 5000 dollars to get fixed but i had them wait so i picked it up and it was fine than and has been for bout 2months and now for the last to days it has been mildly doing it again, has any one else had similar problems or know what it is.

First of all, sorry for my bad english written !I'm speaking french from Quebec but I can write a little bit in english.

I can see that everyone have the same problem as far as I read on the forum. This is my story with my Cadillac Catera 98.

--- The begining ---I bought my Catera at 98 000 KM. I dont how is the conversion from "km" to "miles". The second day I bought it, the pressure oil gage drop down and a noisy sound like a long "beeeeeeep" goes on. I go back to the dealer and he says " The pressure oil gage must be changed". The cost for this repair is 300$ CDN. The probleme is resolved after that. The third day after I purshase this car, the entire cluster light goes down, I lost all the dash light. Again, I go back to the dealer and he says " this is the light control command" tha one at the left of the steering. Yhe cost for this repair is 200$ CDN. After only two weeks, the car won't start after a one hour ride. I wait 2 hour and the car startup again. The dealer says " this is the crank sensor" 400$ the fix it. The problem is resolved.

--- THE HEADACHE BEGIN ---After I repair all the problem I just said. I have no problem for 2 month ago. But after the two month "free" problem, the headache begin.... The horn goes down: 225$ to fix it (just the piece) I repair the part myself. The motor wipper cost 400$ to fix (dealer charge included). The oil cooler below the intake cost 1200$ CDN to fix it. Valve cooler 300$ CDN. Gasket kit because my car smell oil very bad cost 400$ + dealer charge. fog light problem cost 300$ each side because the water goes in. Beam light goes down for the same problem (water in). The heat seat driver down.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT ?????????After 2 years The cluster dash light goes down for the second time !! The crank sensor goes down again !!!!And the spark plus wire cost 600$ for all 6 cylinder !!

And lot of computer reset to stop the "engine light" cost 35$ each time is go on !!! Last month, the engine begin to overheat and is to much for me !!!!!!

HOOOO !! I forgot the LINK KIT is broken at 140 000 KM. It cost to me 2500$ CDN to repair.

I sell that car for 4500$ "as is".If you can repair this car yourself is "OK" but if you have no skill in mechanic... sell that car as soon as you can !

You can reply this message, I will check each day and i can help you out !

"The car has a bad oil cooler, which is located below the lower intake manifold.. It is leaking oil externally, and it is also allowing coolant to mix in with the engine oil.The cost to replace the oil cooler will be approximately $900"

My dad will try to fix it. Is this a difficult place to get in? How much would cost to get this oil cooler? Do I need a full kit or just a specific part?Thanks. I will sell it after we fix.

There is no transmission dipstick on a 1998 Cadillac Catera :lemon: to check or add fluid to the transmission. The only way to add fluid is through the fill plug on the side of the transmission. Do this with the car sitting relatively level and fill it til it runs out the fill hole just like filling a differential. Since you have to do it in this manner and are already under the car, I would suggest changing the fluid entirely if the existing fluid or the car has accumulated more than 70K miles. Good luck.

Regarding the comment made by drodriguez, I don't know what part of the country you live in and I assume that drodriguez doesn't either but if the mean temperature doesn't get over 60 degrees, you should use 5W-30 oil. If the mean temperature is over 60 degrees, you should use 10W-30. The ideal situation would be to use 5W-30 in the winter and 10W-30 in the summer. If your Catera has any oil leak issues (namely the valve covers which is quite prominent in 1998 Cateras) I would stick with the 10W-30 year round. Hope this helps you and good luck.

I have checked/changed all blown fuses. ALL lights work except the brake lights. I recently had a new radiator installed. The brake lights were working before they installed it. Did they hit a wire or something to trigger something to the brake lights? I'm selling this car ASAP after getting this problem fixed. Any suggestions?

Finally I´ve maybe found an answer. I live in Mexico and have had many problems with my 98 Catera. The timing belt problem was fixed and thank God I was re-embursed 100% with no problem. Now I have this issue with the car not starting same as etienne2. If I wait 20 min. it starts up fine. No one here can seem to diagnose correctly . I got a new fuel pump and then a sensor that I can´t traslate to what but it has to do with the tire rod or something. Could this be the crank sensor, what is it and where is it located. I am desperate, just spent more than 1000 dollars and the day I drove it home from the shop it wouldnt start, waited an hour and it started right up . Hope you can help.mexdeb

Since you obviously have a computer you can go to this link and I've explained in detail how to replace the "crankshaft position sensor" on the 1998 Catera which I'm 99.9% sure will take care of your problem. It even explains how to test the new sensor before you permanently attach it. You will have to register to the site to see the images but it is free. Good luck and let me know if this solved your starting problem. sirmqc

I guess I'm not going to be of much help to you. Cadillac designers have really engineered a nightmare with the Catera and even the simplest elctrical circuitry like brake lights can involve several relays and plug-in connections. I don't know exactly where the brake light wiring is located but I seriously doubt if it would be anywhere that a car lift or jack could get to it and damage it and certainly none of the wiring would be in the vicinity of the radiator but then again, like I said they "engineered a nightmare". If I were you, I would start at the brake light switch to see if it has power. Even getting to that can be a major battle. If worse came to worse I would consider running a direct wire from the battery to the brake light switch and then another wire from the switch to the brake lights (since they don't have a double filament bulb - turn signals are seperate lights). Not exactly Cadillac style but may prevent you from getting pulled over and getting a citation. Sorry I wasn't much help. Maybe somebody else will have some ideas. Guess I've been lucky as I haven't had any electrical problems with my Catera :lemon: Yet . Good luck though.

PS: I forgot to mention this but if you have to resort to running a hot wire direct from the battery, be sure to install an inline fuse between the battery and the brake light switch. Just in case.....

Hey Everyone,Someone worte about car not starting and then after cutting it off it w/n start. My 2000 catera was doing that also. Found out it was the crank sensor i ordered the part at $50.00 and mechanic put it o for $125.00. ewww...got away cheap that time becaue my mechanic wanted $200.00 for the part alone.

The mechanic came over and started the car right up with cables which I knew it would but wanted him to see it for himself. He tried to tell me it could be the battery or the alternator and had to rule that out first after I told him I knew what the car need and showed him your diagrams. I can´t believe this mechanic he´s just as bad a a doctor in as you can´t tell him what to do. You better believe I am not letting him touch my battery which is new practically and I will not let him get near my alternator as I brought it from the states rebuilt and have had no problem with it so far now 3 years. It was the third alternator the car has had since 2000. Anyway since its a holiday we agreed to talk again on Monday meanwhile he shut the car off and it started up again right away which I knew it would since I know there is nothing wrong with neither my alternator or battery. He just smirked. I am talking to the manager next and telling them just what I want and not listening to anything else they try to pull. Thanks for your help just thought I would update you. Much appreciation from Mexico.

Hi again - Yes it sounds to me like your mechanic needs to go back to mechanics school for a refresher in Mechanics 101. If your car is not starting, there are two scenarios. Either it will not turn over or it will turn over but doesn't start. If it won't turn over, it is one of two things, either the battery or the starter. The alternator has nothing to do with starting the car. If the battery is running down and you feel like it is the alternator, the best way to test the alternator (especially since the alternator on a Catera is not easy to remove - then again not much of anything on a Catera is easy to get to) is to start the car. After it is running, pull the positive cable from the battery post. If the car dies you have a faulty alternator and it needs to be replaced. I was under the impression that the times your car wasn't starting, that it was turning over okay but just wouldn't fire up mainly after it is warm and/or has been driven for a distance. Then after it cools off it starts fine. Like I said, install a new crankshaft position sensor, and I'm 99.9% sure it will solve your problem. Good luck with the manager..